SunGardens: Sun Mountain Research Center

Photos from SunMt Herbal Cookery

SunMt Research Center is located in the Chaparral zone of the Sierra foothills of California at 2,000 ft. level, with dry hot or cold weather. In Fresno County it seldom rains between May & November, so our SunGarden and wild area have many arid land plants, drought tolerant, pest resistant, multi-purpose perennials using Permaculture design concepts. We have done extensive trials here since 1983.

* indicates failure due to drought, frost, pests, removal etc.

  • ACACIA

    Acacia decurrens

    Acacia delbata*

    Acacia farnesiana*

    Acacia villosa*

    Acacia iteaphylla

    Acacia myrtifolia*

    .

    Alfalfa

    Almond nonpareil* squirrels got the nuts 1st, so dry farmed

    Aloe Vera* greenhouse & kitchen

    Amaranth (A. hypochondriacus)*

    Angelica*

    Anise hyssop*

    .

    APPLES (low chill)

    Anna, Israel, mild flavored yellow

    Early Dawn, S. CA

    Golden Dawn, Bahamas, mild yellow*

    APPLES (heirloom lower orchard near stream, most lost in drought)

    Ashmead’s Kernal*

    Cox Orange Pippin*

    Ketherine*

    King Solomon*

    Liberty*

    McIntosh dwarf*

    Mutzu*

    Pink Permain*

    Pioneer Scarlet*

    Prima*

    Priscilla*

    Spitzenberg*

    Yellow Bellflower*

    Wealthy*

    .

    Wickson Apricot (Blenheim)

    Artichoke*

    Asparagus*

    Avocado, Mexicola, greenhouse

    .

    BAMBOOS (all lost in drought)

    Black*

    B. viridis*

    Golden*

    B. Meyeri*

    B. Moso*

    .

    BANANA (greenhouse, too arid)

    Honey*

    Red*

    .

    BASILS

    Sweet Basil

    Cinnamon Basil

    Dark Opal Basil

    Lemon Basil

    .

    BEANS

    Scarlet Runner

    Tepary

    Chinese Long Bean

    Purple Long bean

    .

    Bee Balm, Scarlet

    Bee Balm, Wild Purple Beets

    Beefsteak Plant, Perilla

    .

    BERRIES

    Autumn Olive (E. Umbellata)

    Elderberries

    Goumi berry (E. multiflora)

    Hawthorne berry

    Juniper berry

    Lycii berry (Wolfberry)

    Mulberry, Black Persian

    Mulberry, Black

    Mulberry, white

    .

    BLACKBERRIES

    Cheyenne*

    Cherokee*

    Shawnee*

    Black satin*

    .

    Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.)

    Bog bean* (died in pond)

    Borage

    Broccoli

    Burdock*

    Cabbage

    Cabbage, Chinese

    Cabbage, Purple flowering

    .

    CACTI

    Cholla (Cylindropuntia)

    Night blooming cereus

    Nopale (Opuntia basilaris, Opuntia robusta)

    .

    Calendula

    Canigre*

    Caraway*

    Carnation*

    Caper plant*

    Carob

    Catnip

    Cattails, dwarf (pond)

    Cayenne

    Century plant (Agave Americana)

    Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)

    Chamomile, Roman (C. nobile)

    Chard, Rainbow

    Chasteberry (Vitex agnus-castus)

    Chayote*

    Chervil*

    Chestnut, Malabar* (drought)

    Chickweed

  • Chinese Boxthorne

    Chives

    Chives,Garlic

    Chrysanthemum

    .

    CITRUS

    Blood orange, genetic dwarf

    Calamondin

    Grapefruit

    Honey mandarin*

    Kumquat*

    Lemon, Meyer

    Tangerine*

    .

    Cleavers

    .

    CLOVERS

    Subterranean

    Red

    White

    .

    Collards, Perennial

    Comfrey

    Coriander

    .

    CORN

    Corn silk

    Taos Blue

    Papago white

    Red

    .

    CUCUMBER

    Cucumber, Armenian

    Cucumber, Lemon

    .

    Curly leaf dock

    Curry plant

    Dandelion

    Day Lily

    Devil’s Claw

    Dill

    Dock, Yellow

    Echinacea

    Eggplant, Japanese

    Fennel

    .

    FIGS

    Fig, Black Mission

    Fig, Calmyrna*

    FoTi: polygonum multiflorum*

    .

    GARLICS

    Garlic

    Garlic, Elephant

    Garlic, Society

    .

    Geranium, Rose

    Giant Purslane

    Ginger (greenhouse/mild root)

    .

    GOURD

    African

    Bottle

    Buffalo

    Luffa

    .

    GRAPES

    Agawan Alden*

    Ameria*

    Aanab-E-Shahi*

    Black Corinth*

    Black Damascus*

    Cardinal*

    Christmas*

    Flame

    Golden Chasselas*

    Interlaken*

    Iona*

    Katakourgan*

    Keuka*

    Lady Finger

    Manuka

    Mission*

    Muscat of Alexandria*

    Muscat orange*

    Oeillade noir*

    Palomino*

    Perlite

    Red Chanez*

    Servant*

    Sauvis*

    Thompson

    .

    Grasses, native bunching

    Green onion

    Hibiscus (H. sabdariffa)

    Honeysuckle

    Hops

    Horehound

    Jasmine

    Jerusalem artichoke

    Jujube, Red Dates

    Kale

    Kohlrabi

    Lambsquarters, large leaf

    .

    LAVENDERS

    French

    English

    Spanish

    .

    Lemon Balm

    Lemongrass, greenhouse

    Lemon verbena, as annual Licorice, native G. lepidota Loquat

    Lotus* (pond dried out)

    Lovage*

  • MALLOWS

    Hollyhock

    Desert Mallow (shrub/tree)

    Mallow

    .

    MARJORAMS

    Marjoram, garden

    Marjoram, creeping

    Marjoram, creeping golden

    .

    Matilija poppy (Romneya coulteri)*

    Mesquite, Honey

    Milk thistle

    .

    MELON

    Melon, Juan Canary

    Melon, Desert Watermelon

    .

    MINTS

    Apple mint*

    Bergamot mint

    Black peppermint

    Chocolate mint*

    Spearmint

    Pineapple mint*

    .

    Mullein (Verbascum thapsis)

    Nasturtium (greenhouse)

    Nettle

    Nigella

    Olives

    Onion

    Oregano

    Oregon Grape

    Orris root iris

    Palo Verde

    Parsley

    Passion flower

    Passion fruit

    .

    PEACHES

    Indian burgundy

    Nectar

    .

    Peas, Edible pod

    Peony tree

    .

    PEPPERS

    Cayenne

    Fresno chile

    Italian long

    .

    PERSIMMONS

    Persimmon, Chocolate*

    Persimmon, Cinnamon*

    Persimmon, Fuyu

    Persimmon, Hachiya

    .

    Pineapple guava

    Pineaple Quince

    .

    PLUMS

    Plum, Japanese flowering

    Plum, Natal* (frost)

    Plum, Santa Rosa

    .

    POMEGRANATES

    Pink Pomegranate, Thompson

    Wonderful

    .

    Raisin Tree

    Rosemary

    .

    ROSES

    Rose, Rosa Rugosa Frau Dagmar Haustrup

    Rose, Lady Banks, Rosa banksiae

    Wild Rose, Rosa californica

    .

    SAGES (native + garden)

    Sage, garden

    Sage, Mexican

    Sage, White (Salvia Apiana)

    Sage, Wild Black (S.Mellifera)

    .

    Sagebrush (Artemesia tridentata)

    Santolina

    Siberian Pea Bush

    Southernwood

    .

    SQUASH

    Crook neck yellow

    Luffa squash

    Zucchini

    .

    Strawberry Tree, Heteromeles arbutifolia

    Sunflower

    Tansy

    Tarragon

    .

    TOMATOES

    Brandywine heirloom

    Sweet 10 Cherry tomatos

    Pear Tomatoes, low acid

    .

    THYME

    Thyme, officinalis

    Thyme, lemon

    .

    Valerian

    Watercress (in stream)

    Wormwood

    .

    YARROW

    Golden Yarrow

    Pink Yarrow

    White Yarrow

Flora found on SunMt property

  • Brodiaea B. californica

    Brodiaea, Brodiaea elegans

    Milkweed, Asclepias

    California Bay Laurel, Umbellularia californica

    California Lilac, Ceanothus calfiornica

    California poppy, Eschscholzia californica

    Chinese houses,Collinsia heterophylla

    Common Camas, Camassia quamash

    Blazing Star, Mentzelia laevicaulis

    Blue Dick, Dichelostemma capitatum

    Buckeye, Aesculus californica

    Elderberry, Sambucus nigra

    Fern, Woodwardia fimbriata

    Fremontia, Fremontodendron

    Lupin, L. californicum

    Manzanita, Arctostaphylos

    Mimulus, Diplacus aurantiacus

    Owl Clover, Orthocarpus purpurascens

    OAKS

    Valley Oak, Quercus lobata

    Live Oak Quercus wislizeni

    Pearly Everlasting, Anaphalis margaritacea

  • Penstemon, Penstemon heterodoxus

    Pineapple weed, Matricaria discoidea

    Plantain, Plantago ovata

    Poison Hemlock, Conium maculatum

    Poison oak,Toxicodendron diversilobum

    Popcorn flower, Plagiobothrys tenellus

    Pine, Gray Pinus sabiniana

    Purple Owl’s Clover, Castilleja exserta

    Redbud, Cercis occidentalis

    Sage, Chia, Salvia columbariae

    Spice Bush, Calycanthus occidentalis

    Soap plant, Chlorogalum pomeridianum,

    Tarweed, Harmonia species

    Turkey Mullein, Croton Setiger

    Twining Snakelily, Dichelostemma volubile

    Vinegar weed, Trichostema lanceolatum

    Wild cucumber, Marah macrocarpus

    Wild lettuce, Lactuca virosa

    Wild onion, Allium fimbriatum

    Wild oats, Avena fatua, Europe

    Woodwardia fern, Woodwardia fimbriata

    Yerba Santa, Eriodictyon californicum

SunMt Plant Trials

Download illustrated details of select plants here.